Litter-carrier.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

E. B. MANN.

LITTBR CARRIER.

APPLIOATION IILED 5111119.15107.

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EDWARD B. MANN, OF MANKATO, MINNESOTA.

LITTER-CARRIER.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed July19, 1907. Serial No. 384.644.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that 1, lEDWARD B. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mankato, in the county of Blue Earth and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Litter- Carriers; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the sanie.

My invention relates particularly to litter carriers of the` class used in connection with stables or barns for carrying the litter therefrom, and dumping the same at suitable distant points outside of the stable or barn.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingr drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing the improved carrier mounted on a supporting wire or cable, with some parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the improved carrier, but with some of the parts shown in a different position from that shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line fc3 x3 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates a heavy wire or cable which constitutes the carrier track, and which may be supported in the customary or any suitable way (not shown).

The carrier frame is made in two sections, the upper section comprising a pair of upwardly extending angle brackets 2, in which are journaled grooved track Wheels 3 that run upon the overhead wire or cable 1. The brackets 2 are laterally spaced apart and rigidly tied together near their lower or depending ends by a tie bar 4. The lower section 5 of the carrier frame is approximately U-shaped in form, Nwith its legs turned. downward. v

A bucket or carrier receptacle 6 is pivotally mounted on the lower ends of the legs of the lower section 5 of the carrier frame. The lower ends of said legs are bent laterally and in reverse directions to form trunnions 7, journaled in bushings 8 secured in the ends oi the bucket 6. The two sections 4 and 5 of the carrier frame are connected together by a windlass drum 9 and windlass cables 10. The ends of the windlass drum 9 are reduced to form trunnions 11 mounted `in 'suitable bearings 12 rigidly secured to the upper portion of the lower section 5. The wind- 'lass cables 10 are secured to the windlass drum 9 and to the lower depending ends of the brackets 2 and are adapted tobe wound upon the said windlass drum 9. A spur gear 13 is rigidly secured outside of the bearing 12. The terms right and left are herein used with respect to Fig. 1. Loosely mounted in the intermediate portion of the right hand bearing 12 is a short shaft 14. A spur pinion 15 is rigidly secured to said shaft 14 and is adapted to mesh with the spur gear 13. Also secured to said shaft 14, outside of the spur pinion 15, is a hand crank 1G for the purpose of rotating said shaft 14 to either raise or lower the bucket 6. A lock dog 17 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the right hand bracket for engagement with the spur pinion l5, to hold the bucket 6 in any desired set position.

A lock lever 18 is pivoted at its intermediate` portion to the left hand leg of the lower section 5 by a pivot 19. The lower end of said lock lever 18 is bent laterally to iorm a lock pin 2() for locking engagement with the perforation 21 formed in the adjacent end of the bucket 6,' to lock said bucket to the lower section 5. The upper end of the lock lever 18 is adapted to engage a tripping abutment supported from the overhead track 1. This tripping abutment, as shown, is in the form of a tripping finger 22 that projects laterally from the' lower A end of one of a pair of clamping plates 23 and 23, which clamping plates at their upper ends are clamped onto the track wire 1 by means of a short nutted bolt 24.

When the carrier is traveling toward the left with respect to Fig. 1, the tripping linger 22 of the tripping abutment will engage the upper end of the lock lever 18 and force the same into an inoperative position, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or into a more extreme position, in which position the lock pin 20 of said lever will be withdrawn from the perforation 21 of the bucket 6, thereby leaving the said bucket free to rotate on its trunnions 7 into its dumping position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The upper end of the lock lever 18 is in a vertical plane of the track wire 1, so that it may be engaged with the tripping finger 22 under a quite wide range of variations in the vertical position of the bucket, and it will, of course, be understood that the amount of movement given `to the lever 18 when moved into its inoperative position by engagement with the tripping finger or tripping abutment, will depend on the vertical adjustment of the bucket. Under return movement of the bucket, the lock lever 18 remains in its inoperative position while it passes onto the tripping finger 22, and the said lock lever may be rcngaged with the bucket any time after the bucket has been returned to loading position and turned right side up or into position to receive the load.

By releasing the lock dog 17 from the spur pinion 15, the bucket G may be lowered so that the bucket 6 may rest upon the floor of the stable or barn for the purpose of loading the same.

As is evident, when the bucket is in its lowered position, the same may be filled without a great deal of lifting. After the bucket is filled, it may be raised into the position indicated in Fig. 1 by turning the crank 1G, thereby winding the cables l0 upon the windlass drum 9.

The carrier just described is simple, and of comparatively small cost, and is thought to be very efficient for the purposes had in View.

What I claim is:

1. The combination With an overhead track, of a carrier frame made up of two sections, the upper of which has wheels arranged to travel on said track, and the lower of which is -supported from the upper section with freedom for vertical adjustments, a bucket pivotally mounted on the lower frame section, a bucket locking lever pivoted to said lower frame section and having Vits upper end arranged in a plane at one side of the overhead track, and a tripping abutment secured to said overhead track and provided with a laterally projecting portion that is engageable with the upper end of said lock lever under difterent vertical adjustments of said lower frame sections, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an overhead track and a trip l pingr abutment Isupported thereby but projecting at one side thereof, of a carrier frame made up of two sections, the upper of which has wheels arranged to travel on said track, and the lower of which has depending legs, a bucket mounted on said legs, means supporting said lower frame `section from the upper frame section withl freedom for vertical adjustments, and a lock lever intermediately pivoted to said lower frame section and operative to lock said bucket in working, position, and the upper end of which lock lever is in a vertical plane offset from the vertical plane of said track and is engageable with said tripping abutment under diiferent vertical adjustments of said lower frame section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l aix mysignature in presence of two witnesses. p

EDWARD B. MANN.

Witnesses S. B. WILSON. ELsIE Koni; 

